Monday, January 7, 2013

Today's entry is for those who moved to the Carolinas to escape 15-degree mornings, icy roads, and snow on the ground. A warming trend is headed for the Southeast -- and, for that matter, for much of the eastern United States.

We could be looking at temperatures near 70 degrees by the end of the weekend.

We'll get there gradually. High temperatures today will only reach 50 degrees, but we'll have sunny skies, and that will make it seem nicer. The sunshine continues Tuesday, with highs reaching 55 degrees.

By Wednesday, a warm front is expected to develop along the Gulf Coast and trudge northward. That will mean cloudy skies both Wednesday and Thursday. Highs on Wednesday could be near 60 degrees, but as the warm front moves through the area Thursday, daytime temperatures might be held back a bit by clouds, showers, and a northeast flow just to the north of the front -- in our area.

Then the milder air takes control Friday. A ridge of high pressure is expected to set up shop in the Southeast, and it will serve to block the advance of any cold air for a while.

Just for reference sake ... Charlotte's average high temperature at this time of year is around 50 degrees.

A cold front is expected to approach by late in the weekend, but the Southeast high pressure ridge will serve to weaken the front. That means a likely continuation of mild weather for much or maybe all of next week.

The long-range forecasts continue to point toward a much colder solution for the final 10 to 12 days of January. A combination of conditions is forecast to push arctic air into the Rockies initially (by the weekend) and then gradually nudge the much colder temperatures farther to the south and east over a period of a week or so.

If all this verifies, we'll have colder conditions by around the 20th of January, and that could set the stage for a period of chilly weather.

How chilly? It's too early to tell. Between now and then, if you're a warm weather fan, just enjoy.

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comments:

Climate change is the greatest threat to human civilization that we've faced since the Cuban missile crisis. And there's no easy fix to this one. Get ready for it to be 110 degrees on July 4th and 80 by early February.

Yes, warm weather is indeed a threat to what remains of civilisation. It means having to endure the horrid site of modern riff-raff society in their ratty cargo shorts, greasy flip-flops, and tattoo-revealing wife-beater shirts.

Yes, a friend on the inside at the Observer says they are all giddy with job because they feel they have stopped what was known as the 'scurge' of their site: the negative commenters. According to what they told me, they are pleased that since the subcription service kicked in, all the negative commenters went away and have basically been silenced. Also, that any that did slip through have no audience to complain to now because the comments are not being seen.

Hey anon at 12:15pm. 6 of the last 12 years we've had fewer than 8 days in Jan with a high of 60+. So I'm not sure what you mean by "every year" and "about ten days" and "no news - as usual", but my guess is that you're exaggerating and you're wrong.

I remeber in college at UNCC in the 80s wearing shorts to class in January for a week or so every year. Our winters are always up and down - and rarely has it ever been cold for more than a few days in a row. I would like to see a nice cold spell for a few days and maybe some snow but these "Indian Summers" are normal and are great at breaking up the boring winter months! If you did some research you would find we avereage several days above 60 every January and likely one above 70.

My daily driver is a green 1999 Mazda Miata and I'm sure that you've seen me somewhere in your travels - I'm the guy with the top down all year round ('cept when it rains). Yes, even when the temps are in the 'teens. Over the last 4-5 years, there have always been winters with several consecutive weeks of below freezing morning temps. Thankfully, the low humidity allows the air to warm quickly for a more pleasant afternoon ride home.

65 during day; 25 at night. Wear your coat and gloves to work, lay out and get a tan during lunch, then put the coat back on to take out the trash that night. Roast at work when thermostat is set for north pole, and enjoy dry air static shocks all day.

"Climate change is the greatest threat to human civilization that we've faced since the Cuban missile crisis."

Sad. Very sad that you actually believe that. Ask Europe how they like their winter. They don't because it has been brutal cold. China even colder. The only threat of climate change is me losing money to the likes of Al Gore, who sits in a big house and flies all over the country telling me to live "sustainable". The real threat of climate change is the funneling of money from me to the special few. I'll begin to believe in man-made global warming when the ones pushing it live the way they tell us to live.

Anon 9:52 and 10:54, if you like cold winters so much, nothing is stopping you from heading up to Minnesota. Deal with freezing temps, ice on your car, frost bite, slush in your shoes, dirty snow all over your pants, salt eating away at your vehicle's finish, taking 15 minutes just to get the car to warm up, and that's just for starters. You nut jobs who complain about warm winters have never experienced cold ones. Please, do me a favor a take off, to the Great White North...It's a Beauty Way To Go!

I'm not advocating spoiling the fun for anyone who enjoys a warm winter reprieve. I just personally don't like how winter seems to always be interrupted with warmness, while summers are so reliably hot and humid with nary a break with a cool day. (I don't recall ever seeing a low 70's / high 60's day in July, although maybe I'm wrong.) And, yes, I'm concerned about climate change but that doesn't mean I support going around pushing global warming down everyone's throat.

Anon 7:07...you don't recall experiencing a low 70's/high 60's July day? There are plenty of them north of here. You are living in the wrong area if you are begging for colder weather. Try Sault Ste Marie, Michigan for a wonderfully comfortable summer in the 60's. If you really miss the cold, stay year round and take in the winter. Right now, they are also enjoying a warm spell, as it is in the 20's and 30's throughout the week. Bundle up! You see snow for 6 months at a time, you'll soon change your mind.

About this blog

Steve Lyttle says growing up in northeastern Ohio, with its foot-deep snows and summertime severe thunderstorms, fueled his interest in meteorology. He has written about weather for 10 years at The Observer. Join the discussion about weather trends and weird weather events -- whether local or around the world.